


Beyond The Waves

by bottomchanyeol, ChrisArrow



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: ABUSE (WITH SIDE CHARACTER), Gore, M/M, Violence, kind of stockholm syndrome and lima syndrome, merman!Chanyeol, pirate!Kyungsoo, sexual acts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-03
Updated: 2019-01-03
Packaged: 2019-10-03 13:59:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17285399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bottomchanyeol/pseuds/bottomchanyeol, https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChrisArrow/pseuds/ChrisArrow
Summary: Coming into possession of a merman, notorious pirate Kyungsoo found the love he always longed for in the beautiful marine creature called Chanyeol.- This fanwork was written for round 2 of the bottom!Chanyeol fest [2018/19].





	Beyond The Waves

**Author's Note:**

> Dear Prompter, if you read this please let me know whether you like what I did to your prompt or not. I had much fun writing it and hope it turned out well. Unfortunately this story is not beta-read due to circumstances, please excuse any errors. A huge THANK YOU goes out to the Mod’s for their amazing work and endless patience with me! Thank you, thank you! I’m so happy to be a part of his great fest once again. ♥

The body next to his didn’t move when he sat up, reaching for the bottle of half-drunk liquor. He took a big sip, grimacing as the rum ran down his dry throat. He gazed at the naked form of the person he had spent the night with.   
  
This time it was a man, a boy, presumably not older than eighteen. He couldn’t care less. All he wanted from the boy was a release and that’s what he had gotten. He preferred men over women, and there were plenty of reasons why.   
  
It was not that he despised women. On the contrary, he loved their elegance, the beautiful curves nature had given them and their natural calm characters. But they think too much and it often hurt his brain when they started talking, imagining a future when they, once again, had not gotten that all he wanted from them was a good fuck.   
  
A fuck, nothing more. That’s what he always was after. Love was not something he needed or wanted from them. Especially not when it was way too easy to get them naked for him. He wasn’t a nobleman. He might have a fortune and a reputation but this reputation wasn’t a good one. By far not.   
  
As a pirate there is no such a thing as a good reputation. You simply couldn’t have one. As buccaneers of the seas you had to fight to survive and that meant you had to take lives as often as you take gold.   
  
And yet, despite all that, a pirate was still a man, a human being. A human being that longed for love like every other creature that walked planet earth, flied its horizons and dove its seas.   
  
Kyungsoo was no exception. Despite all the things he owned, he wanted to own the love and the heart of a lover. He longed for someone to be by his side, someone to hold him at night, someone to love him for the man he was beneath the shell of his ruthless captain existence.   
  
A creak of the bed pulled him out of his thoughts. The guy he was with had turned to his back and blinked at him with sleepy eyes. “On your way to new adventures, captain?” His voice was raspy and way deeper than Kyungsoo remembered.   
  
Pulling his pants up and tying them in the front, Kyungsoo nodded at him to answer his question. Though it wasn’t really a new adventure. The next destination on his agenda was home, to simply take a deep breath and relax.   
  
“Take me with you.”   
  
The pirate laughed out. “For what? To return you to your mother in a body bag? Boy, you wouldn’t even survive a minute out there. Stay here and do something with your life.”   
  
The boy sat up. “So it’s true what they say. Captain Do Kyungsoo only comes to town when he needs release. You’re nothing but a whore yourself, huh?”   
  
Kyungsoo couldn’t remember the boy having such a sharp tongue and it amused him. “Well, maybe that’s what I am then? But am I really?” He then asked, slipping his hand into the pocket of his pants to fish out a couple of golden coins. He tossed them to the boy and watched as they bounced on the mattress. “After all, I don’t receive any money for it.”   
  


A breeze of fresh wind brushed past his nose when Kyungsoo stepped out of the shabby guest house, making his way down to the pier. As he walked along the semi-dark street he stumbled over his navigator. “Captain,” the man croaked out in surprise as he gazed up from where he lay on the dirty ground.   
  
He was visibly drunk and Kyungsoo scrunched his nose at the disgusting smell that flew at him when his crew member pushed himself to his feet with great difficulty. “I see, you obviously had a merry night.”   
  
“I sure did, captain,” the man nodded, swaying a little as he tried to hold balance. “W-where are you off to so early in the morning?” He then asked, hiccupping a little.   
  
“The pier.”   
  
“The pier?!”   
  
Kyungsoo gave a nod. “You have one hour to round up the crew and get the ship ready.”   
  
“A-aye captain.”   
  
His navigator stumbled off, cursing under his breath and it had Kyungsoo chuckling. Sure, an hour to gather a twelve-member crew that was scattered all over the town was not easy but Kyungsoo didn’t want to waste anymore time and finally wanted to sail home.   
  
The sun was slowly making its way up into the horizon when the pirate crew was finally complete and ready to leave the port.   
  
“We’ve got a stiff breeze coming from north. If we can keep up to 15 knots the whole way, we’ll reach home by sunset.”   
  
“That’s what I wanted to hear,” Kyungsoo said, giving his second mate a smile.   
  
Patting the man’s shoulder as he walked past him, Kyungsoo walked down the wooden steps and towards the ship’s bow. Two of his crew members were there, busy fiddling with a couple of nets.   
  
“How many nets are out?” He asked.   
  
“Two so far, captain. One’s right here and one’s at the stern.”   
  
“Already caught something?”   
  
“Nothing spectacular,” one of the men said. “A few fish and a- _ohh_.”   
  
Suddenly the man was dragged towards the rail as something got caught in the net and Kyungsoo and the other men were fast to grab onto the net to save their mate from going overboard.   
  
“Pull,” Kyungsoo commanded, tugging at the thick ropes with all his strength.   
  
It took the three men a couple of pulls until the net was drawn onto deck, falling to the wooden ground with a loud thud. “By the holy Poseidon, look at this.”   
  
Tangled in the pirates net, trying to wiggle free from its cage, was a mermaid. A creature of the sea that, for the majority of humans, was nothing more than a myth, a legend told by sailors.   
  
“Free it,” Kyungsoo ordered and immediately one of the men reached to cut the creature out of the net.   
  
All the other members of the crew had gathered around, curiously staring at the unexpected catch.   
  
“Captain!”   
  
“What?” Kyungsoo asked, taking a step forward.   
  
“It’s not a mermaid.”   
  
“If it’s not a mermaid what is it then?” The captain’s eyes widened as his crew member grabbed the sea creature by the hair to pull its head back.   
  
A man. What had gotten into their net was not a mermaid but a merman. A rather young one, Kyungsoo thought according to the creatures flawless facial features.   
  
The merman stared at him with wide open eyes, grimacing when the pirate, in whose hold he was, tugged at his hair.   
  
Kyungsoo only drew his eyes away from the being when his treasurer demanded his attention. “W-what? He asked, turning to the man. “What did you say?”   
  
“Captain, owning a mermaid is a big deal but owning a merman makes you the richest man on both water _and_ land.”   
  
Kyungsoo hummed, gazing at the merman. “Alright,” he eventually spoke up. “Bring him below deck.”   
  
“Aye, captain.”   
  
“And make sure he has enough water. I don’t want him to die before we reach home.”   
  
“Aye!”   
  
The whole way home Kyungsoo’s thoughts revolved around the merman. Never in a million years would he have thought that he would ever be so lucky to land such a catch. He had already been lucky enough to see a mermaid with his own, living eyes but that he would ever be in the possession of one was something he didn’t even dare to dream of.   
  
“Land ahoy!”   
  
The shout of his first mate had the young captain snapping back to reality. Turning towards the ship’s bow, Kyungsoo narrowed his eyes. Far in the distance he could see the peaks of two mountains. Letting out a sigh, he smiled. “Finally.”   
  
Born on the sea, Kyungsoo knew it was his destiny to sail and hunt treasures but just as much as he loved exploring unknown terrain, he loved being at home. The house he called his sanctuary was the house of his grandparents. He became the legal owner when his mother died and he was not shy to say that this house was the best thing that had happened to him in the past few years.   
  
It was big enough to give room to all his men and its property was spacious, giving them the privacy they wanted and needed. A small trail along the cliff offered access to the shore, so the ship was always close but also well sheltered from the eyes of possibly passing navy ships.   
  
The sun was setting when the ship was carried towards the berth by the waves and the crew was busy getting ready to dock. “Take in the sails,” Kyungsoo commanded. “And reduce the speed!”   
  
“Aye!”   
  
“Captain?”   
  
“Yes?” Kyungsoo asked turned towards the man that had called out for him. “What is it?”   
  
Putting down the barrel he was carrying, the buff guy leaned against it. “What’s with the fish? Where do you want us to bring him?”   
  
“Good question,” the captain hummed.   
  
“What about the pond?” One of the men suggested. “It would at least be big and deep enough for him to swim.”   
  
“And where should we bathe then?”   
  
“As if you bathe that much!”   
  
“I bathe more tha-”

“Stop bickering,” Kyungsoo cut them off. “The pond is a good idea,” he then said. “Bring him there.”   
  
As soon as the ship was docked, Kyungsoo left its deck and walked up to his house. The furniture was covered in dust and the musk scent that floated in the air had him scrunching his nose.   
  
While his men brought up every good they had with them, Kyungsoo opened every window and inspected every room, looking for any damages that might have to be repaired.   
  
Satisfied that nothing had happened to his house while he was gone, the young captain walked towards his room but loud turmoil from the outside had him stopping. Following the noises of his crew, he stepped outside, walking over to where the pond was.   
  
“What’s going on here?” He raised a brow at the sight of one of his men holding his nose while the other held onto his upper arm with his expression twisted in pain. “What happened?”   
  
“Looks as if we have caught a feisty one,” the navigator laughed, nodding at the pond. “He’s defensive. And he obviously got strength.”   
  
Kyungsoo gazed into the artificial pool, trying to find the merman. It took him a moment to find the creature but eventually he found him, hiding behind a boulder that decorated the pond grounds. “Leave him,” he said. “Don’t bother him.”   
  
“Where are we supposed to bathe then, captain?”   
  
“Go down to the shore for that until I figure out what to do with him.”   
  
“I don’t get it, why can’t we still bathe in here? I don’t care if he’s there or not,” one of the crew members commented. “I mean, I’d rather have a beautiful lady bathing with me but why should I go down to the shore?”   
  
“I think you forget that water is his natural habitat,” Kyungsoo said, eyeing his man. “If he’s able to injure us on land just imagine what he’s capable of in water.”   
  
The pirate swallowed. “W-well, I guess you’re right with that.”   
  
“Do as you please,” Kyungsoo said. “I won’t stop you from taking a bath in there but be warned. I won’t jump in after you if he gets you.”   
  
Throwing a last look into the clear water of the pond, the captain turned away and walked back to the house. He still wasn’t sure what to do with the merman and whether to keep him in the pond or not but as for the moment Kyungsoo couldn’t care less. He was tired and needed a nap and the thought of taking a rest in a proper bed in a closed room was too alluring to think of anything else.   
  
Locking his room door behind him, the young crew captain kicked off his boots and stripped down his clothes, letting himself fall into the soft sheets completely bare. Deeply sighing, he closed his eyes and listened to the faint noises of waves crashing against the cliffs and seagulls cawing until he fell asleep, only waking back up when the sun had completely disappeared and the moon shone bright.   
  
Groaning a little, Kyungsoo rolled out of his sheets, sitting up at the edge of his bed. Rubbing his hands with both hands he yawned and eventually stood up. Not bothering to put on a shirt, he slipped into his pants and tied them loosely around his hips.   
  
The house didn’t lay in complete darkness but everything was quiet. He stumbled over a couple of empty bottles of beer and rum on his way to the kitchen and cursed under his breath when some of the liquor spilled over the floor.   
  
Grabbing a gold cup, he poured himself some water and chugged it down. He enjoyed the silence until a weird rustling sound from the outside demanded his attention. Frowning, he set the cup onto the table and went to take a look.   
  
The moon gave enough light for him to see and he scanned the area with attentive eyes, gasping when he spotted the source of the sounds. The merman had left the pond and had made it to the brick wall that was acting as a border between Kyungsoo’s property and the cliff that lay right behind it.   
  
The pirate sprinted towards him when he was about to grab the top of the wall to hail himself up. “Stop!” Grabbing the merman by the shoulders Kyungsoo pulled him down. Rolling over him, he pinned him to the ground. “Are you crazy?”   
  
The merman just looked at him, eyes wide open in shock and chest heaving from his ragged breathing.   
  
“There’s nothing behind this wall,” Kyungsoo said. “You’d have fallen right into the deep. You could’ve died!”   
  
“As if you would care.”   
  
Kyungsoo flinched in shock over the response. He didn’t expect the merman to talk back and stared at him for a mere second before speaking up again. “W-why would I not care?”   
  
“You caught me. You don’t care.”   
  
“I do care,” the pirate cleared his throat. “You’re of great value for me.” He sat back, letting go of the male's shoulders. “And now go back to into the pond.”   
  
The merman didn’t move and Kyungsoo huffed in annoyance. Standing up, he grabbed the boy by his fin with both hands. The creature cried out when he was dragged along the stone ground and tried to wiggle free from the human’s hold.   
  
Much to Kyungsoo’s surprise he was not as heavy as he expected him to be and it was rather easy from him to pull the merman back to the water basin. Pushing him into the water, the pirate straightened his back and breathed out.   
  
He knew the merman would not appear at the surface again and he was completely fine with it until he spotted a trail of blood by his feet. “Oh shit,” he cursed, panicking a little. Jumping into the water, he dived for the male.   
  
Hooking his arms under his armpits he pulled up him to the surface and towed him to the stairs that the other end of the bathing pond. “Let go,” the merman cried out but Kyungsoo didn’t.   
  
Once he had him dragged onto dry land, he sat down onto his fin to keep him in place. “Let me look at you!”   
  
Him dragging the boy over the ground had caused the palms of his hands as well as parts of his chest to scratch open. Blood was falling from the injured skin and it was more than Kyungsoo would’ve liked it to be.   
  
Shouting out for his surgeon he let out a sigh when the man eventually showed up. “C-captain,” he man stuttered, sleep drunken. “What’s wrong?”   
  
“Get your kit, doc. I need your help.”   
  
Nodding the man hurried to get his medical supplies. Dropping the bag to the ground, he knelt down next to Kyungsoo and the merman. “What happened?” He asked as his eyes wandered over the merman’s bleeding chest.   
  
“Doesn’t matter,” Kyungsoo said. “Just make it stop. His hands bleed as well.”   
  
The merman tried to wiggle free from Kyungsoo’s hold, making it hard for the doc to treat his wounds. Hence it took a while until the pirate could release the sea creature again.   
  
“He tried to escape,” Kyungsoo said when the merman dived into the water, hiding again.   
  
The doc frowned. “How?”   
  
“He was about to slip over the wall.”   
  
“He would have fallen down the cliff. He wouldn’t have survived that.”   
  
Kyungsoo nodded. “I know.”   
  
“Captain, I can be honest with you, right?”   
  
Looking at his crew member, Kyungsoo nodded. “Sure, what is it?”   
  
“Tales say holding a mermaid hostage brings bad luck. It’s said that Poseidon gets back at the one who take from him without permission.”   
  
Kyungsoo laughed out heartily. “And you believe that?”   
  
“I do,” the doc said, nodding his head. “Every man who has ever lived and captured a mermaid ended up dead in the sea, swallowed by Poseidon's waves.”   
  
“I never knew you believed in such things.”   
  
“I don’t believe in many things but that’s what I believe in with my whole heart. I can’t force you to release him but you may think of my words and may consider if it’s worth messing with the God of the seven seas.”   
  
Kyungsoo remained silent and didn’t respond to the words of the doc and watched when the man left, bringing his medical kit along with him. Thinking of the words he turned back to the pond and gazed into the water. The merman was out of sight but Kyungsoo didn’t even bother to find him.   
  
He didn’t believe in all the myths and tales and yet he wondered if there was some truth in them. After all he today got into the possession of a creature that was a pure mystery to him.   
  
Kyungsoo spent the rest of the night just sitting there by the pond, not really knowing why. He knew the merman would not show up at the surface or would leave his hiding spot whatsoever and yet the young pirate hoped for it. He felt guilty for being so aggressive and for handling the marine creature so roughly. He felt like apologizing. It was a feeling he rarely encountered.   
  
The sun was peeking up, rising from the ocean and with the first light of the day the house came to life again, too. A rustling sound coming from the inside of the living room area had Kyungsoo moving, getting up from where he sat in front of the man-made pond.   
  
“Oh captain, up so early?”   
  
Humming, Kyungsoo nodded at his treasurer. “There was an incident with the fish in the night. I-” He paused, trying to think of what to actually say. “I was making sure he would stay where he was.”   
  
The man blinked his eyes in confusion. “He tried to escape?”   
  
“Yes.”   
  
“How? I mean it’s not like he’s legs to just walk off.”   
  
“Well, he managed to get out of the pool and crawled over to the wall.”   
  
Turning to look outside to the wall the gaunt man hummed. “His freedom would’ve been short-lived.”   
  
Kyungsoo agreed by simply nodding. “When everyone’s up we’re gonna go and prep that wall. I don’t need him to escape again.”   
  
“And how are we going to do that?”   
  
“I’ll think of something.”   
  
“Have you thought of what to do with him, yet? I mean, he’s of great value.”   
  
“I know, but I don’t know yet. What would you suggest?”   
  
A raspy laughter left the man. “I don’t know. Never in a million years I’d have thought to ever see a creature of the sea with my own eyes. But one thing is for sure. We need a tank to take him with us once we leave again.”   
  
A sigh escaped the young captain. The thought of having to take the merman with them once they would set sails again hadn’t crossed his mind yet. But his treasurer for sure was right, they had to. Otherwise he would be an easy target for tramps and thieves or he would die.   
  
Yet another sigh slipped past Kyungsoo’s lips and he ran a hand through his hair. Having a merman in one of his nets might have made him the richest privateer alive but it also made his life downright more complicated.   
  
  
  
  
  
♠♠♠   
  
  
  
  
Being busy with settling in after a long time on sea and tons of other stuff, Kyungsoo didn’t have much time to spare a thought on his latest captured treasure. He every now and then found himself peeking into the water of the pond but other than that he didn’t really think of the merman.   
  
The day after the creature had tried to escape he ordered his men his to expand the stone wall that seperated the property from the cliff and the outcome wasn’t really an eyesight but at least the merman had no chance to escape anymore.   
  
It was mild early summer day and the pirates crew was busy preparing everything for a big night feast. Most members of the crew were out buying food and alcohol and the few that were still home were either busy fishing down by the shore or inside the house.   
  
Kyungsoo took the quiet opportunity to approach the pond. He had been able to catch a glimpse of the merman earlier the morning but couldn’t really tell if he was still suffering from his small injuries or not.   
  
Hoping that he could lure the creature to the surface Kyungsoo sat down by the edge of the pool and held a grilled fish he brought into the water. He didn’t expect much but to his surprise the merman showed up. It probably was his hunger that made him leave his hiding spot. After all he had been in captivity for days and the pond didn’t really offer much for him to eat or nibble on.   
  
The young merman was about to reach out for the mackerel but Kyungsoo was fast to pull his hand back. He didn’t miss the glare the merman shot him from under the water and it had him chuckling. “Come here,” he spoke up. “I’ll give it to you but I want to take a look at your scratches.”   
  
The merman hesitated but eventually broke through the surface, offering Kyungsoo his hands to look at. Kyungsoo was stunned. Not by the fact that the merman really let him take a look at his injured palms but his face.   
  
He had multiple chances to properly look at the young males face but he never really did, he just realized. The merman was breathtakingly beautiful and Kyungsoo was mesmerized by his rosy lips and those big blue eyes that build a stunning contrast to his lavender colored hair.   
  
The pirate only snapped out of his stare then the merman knitted his brows together into a confusing frown. “Oh,” Kyungsoo voiced out, clearing his throat. “Uh, let me take a look,” he said and eventually lowered his gaze to the males hands.   
  
His palms weren’t fully healed yet but Kyungsoo was satisfied with the way the scratches had become much smaller. Looking back up, Kyungsoo then held out the fish to the merman. “Here you go.”   
  
Taking the mackerel the merman sniffed at it.   
  
“What’s wrong?”   
  
“It smells and looks weird,” the male stated, narrowing his eyes while gazing at Kyungsoo.   
  
“There’s nothing wrong with it,” the pirate said. “It simply got grilled.”   
  
“Grilled?”   
  
“Yes, grilled. You know, where you p-ah” Kyungsoo fell silent. He had forgotten that the merman didn’t know what grilled fish or fire was. “Well, you see,” he spoke up again. “We don’t eat fish the way you do. We usually grill it. Grilling is when you put fish or other food on a grid above fire.”   
  
Breaking eye contact the merman gazed at the fish. “Fire,” he mumbled, then looking back at Kyungsoo.   
  
“Try it, it’s good.”   
  
Kyungsoo had expected the merman to dive back under water to have his meal but the young male stayed above the wet surface to bite into the fish. Kyungsoo closely watched as a row of pearl white teeth sunk into the flesh, ripping out a chunk.   
  
The merman hummed as he chewed on the food. “It’s good.”   
  
The words had Kyungsoo smiling. “If you like I can bring you another one later on. We will have a feast tonight.” He got a simple nod as an answer. “Okay, I’ll bring you one then. Are you in pain or anything? Do your hands hurt?”   
  
“They itch.”   
  
Kyungsoo let out a hum. The doc has told him that the merman probably would have to deal with some itching as for sure some dirt got caught under his skin. “I’ll get you an ointment for that. Wait a second.”   
  
Getting up to get some itch relieving ointment from a cabinet in the kitchen, Kyungsoo returned to the pool with the merman being gone. Sighing he was about to turn away again when the young male appeared on the surface again, swimming towards the poolside.   
  
Kyungsoo had a pair of attentive eyes on him when he sat down by the pond edge and unscrewed the lid of the small glass tube. Dipping two fingers into the clear ointment he scooped some of it out. “May I have one of your hands?”   
  
The merman lifted one of his hands, flinching a little when Kyungsoo gently wrapped his fingers around his wrist. After figuring that the hold he was in was loose enough for him to pull away at any moment he wanted, the merman relaxed and let Kyungsoo putting on the ointment.   
  
“It’ll help with the itching,” Kyungsoo quietly told him, rubbing the ointment into the skin.   
  
Kyungsoo worked slow, slow enough for him to spend some more minutes with the merman. He wanted to. He might have been the one who had taken away the merman’s freedom but he wanted him to understand that he was not in danger at any moments.   
  
The pirate never before had the urge to give anyone the feeling of being safe in his presence but this boy was somehow able to give him this feeling. It surprised him that his usually so cold and careless state was crumbling in front of the young merman but he also couldn't care less. It was actually quite nice to give someone the feeling of security.   
  
As he moved to treat the other hand the boy had fully relaxed. He still attentively watched each of Kyungsoo’s movement but he wasn’t tensed anymore and his beautiful blue-greenish tail was relaxdly moving along the surface of the water, creating some small waves.   
  
“You should let the ointment dry before you put your hands back into the water,” Kyungsoo told him when he was done treating the scratched open palms. The merman nodded, eyeing his palms.   
  
Kyungsoo was truly satisfied with the laid-back state the young male was in but it didn’t last for long. He made a quick escape when some of the crew members came back from the shore, loudly announcing that they’ve caught a bucket full of fish.   
  
An annoyed sigh left Kyungsoo and he stood up from the poolside, stuffing the ointment tube into his pant pocket. He turned away from the pond and let the merman be.   
  
The feast lasted long into the night and with the great amount of alcohol that was consumed the pirates crew members soon were genuinely drunk. And so was the captain himself. Kyungsoo didn’t plan to but the rum was flowing like water and he soon got lost in the light-hearted feeling it gave him. It was close to the morning hours when tranquility finally occurred, the last crew members eventually went to get some sleep and Kyungsoo finally had the chance to bring the merman the fish he had promised him.   
  
Grabbing one of the remaining fish from the grill he walked towards the pond. The fish was still slightly warm and he was sure the boy would like this one even more than the one from earlier.   
  
The way to the pond seemed to be longer than usual but Kyungsoo knew the alcohol he had drunk was to be blamed for that. He wasn’t very stable on his feet, swaying quite a lot as he walked.   
  
As the surface under his feet changed from soft gras to slightly wet concrete, all it took was one unstable step for him to lose balance. Slipping due to the sheet of water that covered the ground, Kyungsoo fell.   
  
A painful goran escaped the pirate when he crashed to the ground, hitting his head on the hard ground. He tried to get up but sudden heavy dizziness forced him to lay back again. His head was throbbing and he tried to fight against the unconsciousness he could feel coming but of course he lost that battle and blacked out.   
  
Coming back to senses, Kyungsoo found himself looking at the ceiling of his room when he blinked open his eyes. Reaching to get a hold of his throbbing head, the young man sat up.   
  
“Captain! You’re awake! Oh, thank god!”   
  
Kyungsoo flinched a little at the shrill voice coming from one corner of his room and turned towards the person who spoke to him. His first mate was sitting on a stool and got up when Kyungsoo asked him what had happened.   
  
“We found you laying by the pond,” the man said. “We don’t know what happened but you seemed to have hit your head.”   
  
“Ah yeah,” Kyungsoo muttered. “I slipped and fell.”   
  
“The doc said you’ve lost a lot of blood but thanks to the fish you survived.”   
  
The pirate frowned. “Thanks to the fish?”   
  
The mate nodded. “Yes, yes. He was sitting beside you, holding your head. We were truly surprised to see him out of the pond but it’s really all thanked to him that you didn’t bleed to death.”   
  
A soft hum escaped Kyungsoo. “I guess I have to thank him then.”   
  
“Do you think he understands us?”   
  
“Sure, why wouldn’t he?”   
  
The mate shrugged. “I don’t know. None of us has ever heard him talking. I mean if he’d be able to communicate wouldn’t he have called for help?”   
  
“I’m sure he was afraid. Or he just didn’t know better,” Kyungsoo defended the merman.   
  
“Well, whatever. You’re safe and that’s all what matters. I’ll go and get the doc to look at you.”   
  
Kyungsoo moved to sit on the edge of his bed while waiting for the doc to appear. The man checked up on his head and told him that he might would feel a little light-headed as he for sure would suffer from a concussion.   
  
“You shouldn’t move around too much,” the doc said when Kyungsoo stood up to get dressed. “You should rest.”   
  
“It’s fine,” the captain said, reaching for a clean shirt. “I want to check up on him.”   
  
“I’m truly surprised by his behavior.”   
  
“Why that?”   
  
“He easily could’ve killed you. He could’ve let you bleed to death. He even could’ve dragged you into the water and drown you but he didn’t. And according to how blood soaked his hands were and how dry his tail was, I assume he has sat beside you for quite a few hours.”   
  
“I’ve had the chance to talk to him yesterday. I went to look at his hands and he even let me apply some ointment. He also took the fish I brought him.”   
  
A sigh escaped the man. “I’ve told you before on how I feel of him being here and even though it’s nice to hear that you were able to get closer to him, I still think you should set him back to freedom.”   
  
“Well, I don’t plan to.”   
  
“Wealth is not everything in life.”   
  
“Yes, thank you very much for that education,” Kyungsoo grumbled, rolling his eyes at the man. “And now excuse me.”   
  
Walking was difficult as due to the concussion Kyungsoo had to deal with great dizziness. The world was literally spinning in front of his eyes and it took him a moment to get down the stairs but eventually he made it. “Stay inside,” he told his men a when he opened the wooden door that lead into the garden. “I want nobody outside.”   
  
The men didn’t question his request and nodded their heads but Kyungsoo could tell they were curious. The few men crew members that were outside in the garden were sent into the house and once the garden was empty with all men out of sight, Kyungsoo approached the pond.   
  
Sitting down he dipped his hand into the water and waved it through the cold wet to get the merman’s attention. The sea creature peeked up from behind the large boulder and came swimming towards the poolside, arising from the water.   
  
“I have to thank you,” Kyungsoo spoke up when the merman curiously inspected the wound dressing that was wrapped around his head. “They told me you kept sitting by my side.”   
  
The merman nodded. “It’s fine.” he after a while said. “You were hurt. Are you okay now?”   
  
“I am, thanks to you.” Kyungsoo looked at the boy, getting lost in his deep blue eyes for a mere second. “May I know your name?”   
  
The young male hesitated to answer but eventually spoke up. “Chanyeol.”   
  
His name had slipped so softly past his rosy lips, it sent a shiver down Kyungsoo’s spine. “Chanyeol,” he repeated. “That’s a beautiful name.” He gifted the merman a smile. “Thank you, Chanyeol. Thank you for saving me.”   
  
“It’s fine,” Chanyeol answered and he almost sounded shy. “C-can I know your name, too?”   
  
“It’s Kyungsoo.”   
  
“Are you their leader?”   
  
“I am, yes.”   
  
“I-is it possible for y-you to tell them to stay away?”   
  
Kyungsoo deeply frowned. “What happened?”   
  
“Some of the came into the water and tried to grab me.”   
  
Biting back a growl, the pirate clenched his jaw. ‘“I sure will tell them the stay away from you. I’m sorry.”   
  
Chanyeol only nodded his head and Kyungsoo took his head movement to take yet another closer look at him. Apart from his fairly unhuman hair color the merman had normal human looking facial features. A tiny mole decorated the bridge of his nose and his at the end pointy converging ears slightly stick out, giving his face an adorable touch.   
  
Kyungsoo spent good an hour sitting by the poolside, talking to the young merman. He was oddly surprised of how talkative Chanyeol was and how he totally seemed to have lost his fearful state.   
  
“Can I have another fish?”   
  
“Of course,” Kyungsoo answered the question. “I’m afraid there’s none done at the moment but I’ll grill you one. Can you wait a little longer? I’d bring you one later the evening then.”   
  
“Sure,” the merman said and the smile Kyungsoo was gifted had him freezing for a moment. Chanyeol had an absolutely breathtaking smile which was accentuated by his big eyes curving into crescent moons.   
  
At some point, eventually leaving Chanyeol to go back into the house Kyungsoo was curiously eyed by all this crew members. “What?” He asked, frowning at the stares.   
  
“The fish seemed to have changed his behavior,” one of the pirates uttered.   
  
Another nodded. “Yeah, he even smiled at you.”   
  
“He seems to be more comfortable.”   
  
“Well, he’s actually not,” Kyungsoo said, growling a little under his breath. “Who of you bastards got into the pond and tried to get him?!”   
  
All men froze.   
  
“It was three of you and you better speak up now and admit it because I’ve got no problem with going back out there and ask him who of you it was. I’m sure he clearly remembers.”   
  
After a rather long term of silence it was the navigator who first spoke up. “I was one of them, captain,” he said, lowering his head a little. “I don’t know what got into me. I was curious to take a look at him.”   
  
“Me too, so I joined him,” the ship’s cook followed suit. “I’m sorry captain. I’ve drank too much and wasn’t thinking straight.”   
  
“Who’s the third one?” Kyungsoo asked. “Speak up.”   
  
“Me,” eventually the treasurer uttered, raising his hand. “I’m also sorry, captain. We’re simply too drunk to realize what we’re doning.”   
  
Kyungsoo sighed. “Just stay away from him. Don’t even try to get close to the pond. Leave him be.”   
  
“Yes, captain.”   
  
The murmur of his crew was not really satisfying but Kyungsoo just took it. Humming a little he left the room and went to his bedroom. Closing the door behind him, the young pirate sat down at the table that stood by the windows.   
  
Dipping his hands into the large washing bowl he scooped some of the cold water up and splashed it into his face, rubbing it. Reaching for a cloth Kyungsoo buried his face into the fabric.   
  
As he dried off his face and neck he stepped to the windows and looked out. He had a perfect view onto the ocean and his garden. The pool was right in his sight and from above like this he could even see Chanyeol swimming his rounds on the grounds of the pond.   
  
The merman seemed to be busy with picking up things from the ground, Kyungsoo could see him carrying things from one end of the large pool to the other through the clear water.   
  
He didn’t mean to but even two hours later Kyungsoo was still standing in front of the window, watching the sea creature. Whatever Chanyeol was doing, it seemed to truly occupy him.   
  
The sun was setting when the pirate eventually moved, turning away from the windows. Loud noises from the lower rooms lured him back downstairs to the living area.   
  
His cook was busy stirring in a big pot and the smell that was coming from it lingered in the air, dipping the enormous room into a pleasant scent.   
  
Two of the crew were collecting bowls and spoons from the cupboards while he rest sat at the big table, playing cards.   
  
“Join us captain. The stake is three gold ducats.”   
  
“Only three,” Kyungsoo amusedly commented as he sat down at the table. “I’ll maybe join in when you stack up the stake a little.”   
  
The men laughed and continued their game. The evening was much less wild than the night before and Kyungsoo really enjoyed it. Rum was drunk but none of the pirates was actually drunk or acting out under the influence of the alcohol. Everyone sat nicely together and played cards or simply talked about the adventures they have had in past months on sea.   
  
Kyungsoo stole himself away from the scene close to midnight, grabbing two of the last remaining grilled fish that were left over from dinner and headed outside.   
  
Chanyeol appeared on the surface the second he stepped to the poolside and braced himself on the edge, softly smiling up to Kyungsoo.   
  
“I brought you two,” Kyungsoo announced, holding the two fish up for Chanyeol to see. He sat down and handed one over to the merman.   
  
“It smells different today.”   
  
“It’s the same fish, though. Maybe my cook has seasoned it a little today.”   
  
The young merman hummed and again sniffed at the fish before eventually biting into it. Kyungsoo watched him chewing on the flesh and raised a curious brow when Chanyeol let out a soft squeaky noise.   
  
“It tastes good.”   
  
“That’s good to hear,” Kyungsoo smiled. “You’ve seemed busy in the afternoon. What did you do down there?”   
  
The merman looked at him, expression twisted in surprise and confusion. “H-how do you know?”   
  
“I’ve seen you.”   
  
“H-how?”   
  
A chuckle escaped Kyungsoo. Chanyeol’s eyes followed his finger when he pointed towards the house and up to where his room was. “My bedroom is up there. I could see from my window.”   
  
“O-oh.”   
  
“So, what did you do?”   
  
“I cleaned up,” Chanyeol said. “It was fairly messy in here. Now it looks much better.”   
  
“Oh really?”   
  
“Yes,” the merman proudly nodded. “Do you want to take a look?”   
  
Kyungsoo was stunned by the question. He would never expected Chanyeol to actually want anyone enter to the pool. “Oh, uh-” He brought out. “Tomorrow maybe. Right now I wouldn’t be able to see and tell a difference.”   
  
The young merman raised his brows. “Human can not see in the dark?”   
  
“No,” Kyungsoo shook his head. “We also cannot see clearly under water.”   
  
Chanyeol hummed at the information.   
  
“So, may I take a look at what you did tomorrow?”   
  
“Yes.”   
  
As Chanyeol again bit into the fish, Kyungsoo quietly watched him. Chanyeol’s behavior had changed so drastically he wondered if it was his true nature or all just played. The merman was way too relaxed way too suddenly and it was hard to believe for Kyungsoo that the merman actually had accepted hs fade of being held in captivity. At least not yet.   
  
“Chanyeol, how old are you?”   
  
“I don’t know.”   
  
“You don’t know? How can you not know?”   
  
The merman shrugged. “I just don’t know.”   
  
The pirate frowned a little. “Then how can you tell if a fellow merman or mermaid is older or younger than you?”   
  
“Oh, we take a look at our scales.”   
  
“Your scales?”   
  
“Yes.”   
  
Chanyeol put his fish away and pushed himself off the poolside, moving onto his back. Kyungsoo flinched a little when the merman raised his tail, causing his fin to arise from the water.   
  
“We have scales down here,” Chanyeol said, pointing at the slimmest part of his lower body where the tail was transitioning into the fin. “The more scales we have, the older we are.”   
  
Leaning forwards Kyungsoo curiously looked at the merman’s tail and the row of slightly larger scales that was lined up by the beginning of his fin. “How often does a new one grow?” He asked while briefly counting the scales.   
  
“I get a new one every time the sea gets cold,” Chanyeol answered, giving a proud smile.   
  
Assuming that every scale represented one year of living, Kyungsoo came to the conclusion that Chanyeol was a little over 21 years old and therefore six years younger than him.   
  
“How old does it make me?”   
  
“Twenty-one,” Kyungsoo answered, watching as Chanyeol put his fin back under water and went back to eating his fish.   
  
“Is that old?”   
  
A chuckle escaped the pirate. “No, that’s fairly young.”   
  
“How old are you?”   
  
“Twenty-seven.”   
  
“Is that older or younger than me?”   
  
“Older by six years.”   
  
“What is a year?”   
  
“What a year is?” Kyungsoo blinked his eyes. “You don’t know what a year is?”   
  
“No.”   
  
Until deep into the night Kyungsoo sat by the pool, answering question after question. Chanyeol had a lot to ask. After explaining what a year was, the pirate and to explain the seasons and their differences.   
  
Much to his surprise life under water was a whole lot more different than he had expected and Chanyeol was eager to learn about all the differences.   
  
A surprised gasp slipped past his lips when the darkness of the night disappeared and the first rays of sunshine dipped the sky into a play of bright colors. “Oh, it’s already morning.”   
  
Chanyeol looked up into the horizon, smiling softly. “I love how this looks. I often watch it. It is so beautiful and different every time.”   
  
“Yes,” Kyungsoo agreed, nodding. “It looks very nice.”   
  
“Oh, now where it’s not dark anymore you can come and see, right?” The merman asked, moving a hand through the water.   
  
A laugh left the pirate. “Okay, if you want me to.”   
  
Taking off his boots and shirt, Kyungsoo moved to sit right on the edge of the pool. The water was warmer than expected and he slid into the wet without hesitation.   
  
Chanyeol was right by his side, swimming circles around him. “Come, come,” he urged, nodding his head towards the ground.   
  
Deeply inhaling, Kyungsoo dived under to follow the merman. As his human eyes were not made for seeing underwater all he looked at was a little blurry but from what he saw he could tell that Chanyeol had organized all the stones that were laying on the ground, creating an all over more structured and clean picture of the pond ground.   
  
As someone who’s ever only used the pond for bathing Kyungsoo couldn’t have cared less about the ground being a mess but he could understand that the cleaness of the pond mattered to Chanyeol as he had to basically live in the pool.   
  
“Good, isn’t it?” Chanyeol asked him when they were back at the surface.   
  
Kyungsoo nodded, rubbing his face and pushing his hair back. “It is. A little sparse though.”   
  
“Yes,” the younger hummed. “But well. Better than wild and messy.” He stretched his arms over his head and yawned, rubbing one of his eyes afterwards.   
  
“Tired?” Kyungsoo asked and he smiled at the soft ge got as an answer. “Then go and get some rest, I’m tired too.”   
  
Getting out of the pool, Kyungsoo reached to pick up his shirt, boots and also the bones from the fish Chanyeol had eaten.   
  
“Thank you for the fish,” the merman smiled.   
  
“You’re welcome,” the pirate said, returning the smile. “Is there anything else you like to eat it.”   
  
“Clams,” Chanyeol without any hesitation blurred out, flushing a little as he realized how loud his voice was.   
  
“Clams,” Kyungsoo smiled. “Got it. I’ll get you some.”   
  
  
  
  
  
♠♠♠   
  
  
  
  
Weeks passed and Kyungsoo spent more and more time with the young merman that happened to land in one of his fishing nets. Chanyeol had joyous nature and with each moment more they were together, Kyungsoo could himself feel more and more drawn to the marine creature.   
  
He absolutely enjoyed being together with Chanyeol and he loved getting lost in the merman’s blue eyes when they talked about whatever.   
  
The pirate had never cared about anyone but himself, but he cared about Chanyeol. He couldn’t stand it when Chanyeol wasn’t smiling and he found himself roaming around the markets in the nearby town to get the merman presents.   
  
His crew had noticed the change in his behavior as well but they new better than not to point out that he was spending way too much time with Chanyeol. They just let him be and enjoyed the relaxed state he was in.   
  
“Captain, there’s a festival down in town tonight.”   
  
“Oh yeah, I’ve seen,” Kyungsoo said. “Everybody is busy preparing everything for it.”   
  
“The crew and I will head down in a few. Will you come, too?”   
  
“Later maybe. I wanted to go down to the shore and take a bath.”   
  
“Oh, okay. Well, then maybe we’ll see each other later.”   
  
“Yes,” the captain nodded. “And don’t spend all your money on the ladies.”   
  
The mate heartely laughed out. “I’ll try not to.”   
  
Kyungsoo watched the man leaving before turning to go up to his room. Taking off his shirt and shoes he threw a cotton cloth over his shoulder and grabbed his soap bar, stuffing it into the pocket of his pants.   
  
Before leaving his room again to head to the shore he reached for a little linen pouch he earlier had gotten down in town and then made his way to Chanyeol.   
  
The merman was busy doing something on the ground of the pool and didn’t notice Kyungsoo approaching. The pirate had to sit down and dip a hand into the water to get the younger’s attention. “Busy?” He laughed when Chanyeol emerged from the water.   
  
“Yes. One of the plants is always falling over. It’s weird.”   
  
“Oh, and could you fix it?”   
  
“No.”   
  
“Maybe it needs a little more support.”   
  
“I already scooped more sand up for it but it keeps falling over.”   
  
Kyungsoo chuckled when the younger puffed his cheeks, pouting. Fumbling the pouch out his pocket he held it out to Chanyeol. “Look, I brought you something.”   
  
“What is it? What is it?” Eagerly grabbing the small linen bag, Chanyeol opened it. “Oh, it’s beautiful. What is it?”   
  
“It’s a necklace. You can wear it around your neck.”   
  
“Oh, how?”   
  
Taking the necklace away from Chanyeol, Kyungsoo leaned over to put it around his neck, closing it in the back. “There you go. It suits you,” he smiled when Chanyeol carefully touched the small painted seashell that was attached to the filigree chain.   
  
“It is so beautiful. Thank you!”   
  
“You’re most welcome.”   
  
“Do you want to go somewhere?” Chanyeol asked, nodding at the cotton rag.   
  
“Yes, I’m about to go down to the shore. I need a bath.”   
  
Chanyeol let out a hum, turning his head to the stone wall for a second. “Enjoy,” he said when he turned back, smiling softly.   
  
Kyungsoo could see some sadness in Chanyeol’s eyes and he didn't like it at all. “Do you want to come with me?” He asked and Chanyeol’s blue eyes widened in surprise.   
  
“I-”   
  
“Come,” the pirate smiled, holding out a hand. “Don’t be afraid, I won’t drop you.”   
  
Chanyeol’s skin was cold against his own when Kyungsoo carried the merman down to the ocean and the scales of his tail tickled the palm of his hand.   
  
Chanyeol had his arms slung around his neck and the movement in his blue eyes got faster with each step they got closer to the shore. Kyungsoo knew the chance of Chanyeol just swimming off were high but it was worth the risk. He just couldn’t stand any other expression on the younger’s face when it wasn’t a smile.   
  
Arrived by the shore, Kyungsoo walked a few meters into the water and lowered Chanyeol into the water. The merman let out a happy sound and moved his tail to make the water splash.   
  
“W-where are you going,” he wanted to know when Kyungsoo turned away and walked back out of the water.   
  
“Like I said, I need a bath and pants are not very practical for that.”   
  
Kyungsoo had the merman’s eyes on him when he undressed, taking of his pants and even though many people before have seen him completely bare, Kyungsoo almost felt a little shy with Chanyeol looking at him.   
  
With soap bar in his hand he walked back into the water, moving past the merman. Chanyeol wiggled himself further into the sea and followed the pirate. “What is this?” He curiously asked, inspecting the soap.   
  
“Soap,” Kyungsoo answered. “It’s for cleaning your skin and hair.” He dipped the bar into water and then rubbed his hands over it to create some foam.   
  
A sound of amazement escaped Chanyeol. “Can I have some too?”   
  
“Sure, here.”   
  
Chanyeol followed the humans movements when Kyungsoo started to lather his boy with the foam. Soft Ah’s and Oh’s slipped past his lips when he rubbed the bubbling soap into his skin. “And now?”   
  
“Rinse it off,” Kyungsoo said, showing Chanyeol how to get rid of the foam again.   
  
Instead of simply splashing water at himself, Chanyeol dived underwater. Kyungsoo chuckled to himself but tensed a little when th saw the merman swimming off.   
  
Chanyeol appeared on the surface again a few meters in front of him, doing some leaps. He looked blissfully happy and Kyungsoo felt a sting in his heart as he yet again so hardly got reminded that he was depriving Chanyeol of his freedom.   
  
“Swim with me!”   
  
Chanyeol was back by his side in a blink of an eye and it startled Kyungsoo a little how fast the merman was.   
  
“Swim with me,” Chanyeol said again, eyes sparkling.   
  
“Go ahead,” Kyungsoo smiled. “I need to wash my hair first.”   
  
“Okay but hurry!”   
  
As Chanyeol dived back into the soft waves, Kyungsoo washed his hair. Rubbing his with soap lathered hands over his head, he massaged his roughly massaged his scalp to get as much dirt off as possible.   
  
With both, body and hair, eventually thoughtfully washed the pirate sat down in the water and let his eyes wander through the bay. His ship lay anchored to his left and in the distance he could see another ship sailing by.   
  
A warm breeze whirled around his upper body and soft waves splashed against his skin right underneath his chest. Chanyeol’s head popped up and the pirate broke into a soft smile when the merman came swimming towards him.   
  
“Look what I found!”   
  
“What is it?” Kyungsoo asked when Chanyeol came to halt right next to him.   
  
“A seashell.”   
  
“Oh, that’s a huge one.” The pirate had never in his life seen such a big seashell as the one Chanyeol had brought and he eyed it in wonder. “It’s stunning.”   
  
“No crab is living in it so I took it,” the merman smiled.   
  
Kyungsoo looked at him, admiring his features. “Chanyeol, why are you still here? You could have swam off. Why didn’t you leave?”   
  
Chanyeol kept quiet, gazing away.   
  
Kyungsoo hooked his fingers under his chin to tilt his head back towards him. “Why are you still here?”   
  
“N-no one is living in this part of the sea because of the kraken a-and-”   
  
“And what?” Kyungsoo frowned when a blush appeared on Chanyeol’s cheeks. “And what?” He asked again, voice more demanding this time.   
  
“I l-like you. I want to stay with you.”   
  
Kyungsoo’s heart skipped a beat. He had expected a lot of answer but not this one.Staring at he younger not knowing how to respond, Kyungsoo eventually found himself pulling Chanyeol forwards by his chin.   
  
The merman let out a shaky breath when their lips touched but didn’t pull away. Tilting his head Kyungsoo deepened the kiss, moving his lips against Chanyeol’s soft ones.   
  
When they finally pulled apart the blush on Chanyeol’s cheeks had deepened in color. His rosy lips were slightly parted and his is beautiful blue eyes were hooded. “Can I stay with you?”   
  
Kyungsoo let the corner of his lips curl into a smile at the soft spoken ask. “With pleasure,” he said, leaning in for another kiss.   
  
They spent a good amount of time like this, just kissing and looking at each other. They went for a swim but even then they only had eyes for one another.   
  
It was getting dark when they finally moved back to the house but their ways of course did not part once Chanyeol was back in his pool. Kyungsoo sat down by the poolside, sighing softly when Chanyeol rested his head in his lap.   
  
He brought a hand into his hair and started to gently comb the lavender strands. In the light of the setting sun Chanyeol’s hair looked almost blue and Kyungsoo was surprised by how soft it was.   
  
A warm feeling spread through his body when Chanyeol reached for his other hand started to play with his fingers, gently caressing them. “What happened here?”   
  
Kyungsoo closed his eyes as Chanyeol traced his index finger along the scar he had on the palm of his right hand. “I grabbed into the sword.”   
  
“Why that?”   
  
“I was attacked.”   
  
A hum left the merman. “I’ve seen humans fighting before. I don’t know why they do it but they destroy other ships and harm each other. Many human men have died in the ocean. Do you do that too?”   
  
“Yes.”   
  
“Why?”   
  
“Because that’s what we do? We hunt for treasures and hijack other ships to steal their goods.”   
  
“But it harms the others.”   
  
“It does.”   
  
“And yet you do it?”   
  
“Yes.”   
  
“Humans are weird.”   
  
Kyungsoo laughed out. “Yes, we are.”   
  
Lifting his head, Chanyeol opened his mouth but even before he could say something he was interrupted by a loud bang and the colors of the sky changing for a moment. “W-what was that?”   
  
“A firework,” Kyungsoo answered. “There’s a festival going on in the town.”   
  
Chanyeol in wonder watched when the sky once again changed its colors for a second. There was nothing much to be seen from the firework as the house blocked most of it.   
  
“Do you want to see it?”   
  
“Can I?”   
  
“Sure.”   
  
Carrying Chanyeol to the front of the house Kyungsoo sat down on a boulder, placing the merman in his lap. Chanyeol’s eyes were wide open and his lips curled into a smile when he caught his very first glimpse of a full rocket rising into the sky, exploding with red sparks.   
  
And while Chanyeol in wonder watched the fireworks Kyungsoo brushed his nose along the younger’s nape, drinking in the scent that was coming from him. Chanyeol smelled salty, fresh like the ocean and Kyungsoo loved this scent. It reminded him of the open sea, of wind his sails and the ocean and sky touching in the far distance. It reminded him of his roots; it reminded him of home.   
  
  
  
♠♠♠   
  
  
  
It was night and the only light that slightly lit up the garden was coming from an oil lamp, Kyungsoo had placed by the patio door. He was sitting by the entrance of the pool with his feet and parts of his calved in the water. Chanyeol was resting on the stone steps between his legs, curiously playing with gold amulet the pirate brought him to look at.   
  
Kyungsoo gazed at the younger, tracing the outline of his kissable lips with his eyes. “Chanyeol.”   
  
The second Chanyeol reacted to his name and tilted his head upwards he was pulled into a kiss. Bracing his hands on Kyungsoo’s thighs he pushed himself up to get into more comfortable position.   
  
Nudging the merman’s bottom lip with his tongue, Kyungsoo hummed in satisfaction when Chanyeol parted his lips, granting his tongue entrances. Far in the back of his head the pirate remembered the very first time they kissed like this and he still had the clear picture of a flushing Chanyeol in his inner eye.   
  
It was adorable and it still surprised him how fast Chanyeol adapted to this type of kissing. He sometimes even initiated it. Not in the way of subtlety hinting it but cutely, directly asking for it while batting his lashes at Kyungsoo.   
  
Kissing Chanyeol was like taking a drug. It was addictive and if he would’ve let him Kyungsoo would’ve kissed him all day long. He just couldn’t get enough of it.   
  
Nibbling at the younger’s bottom lip, Kyungsoo jumped in shock when the hold Chanyeol had taken of his thighs tightened. The merman’s thumbs were digging into his inner thigh, pressing down a very sensitive spot.   
  
Trying to ease the pressure on this spot Kyungsoo moved a little. It caused Chanyeol to slip and brush against his crotch. Sucking in a deep breath Kyungsoo broke their kiss.   
  
“A-are you okay?” Chanyeol asked, expression adorably confused.   
  
“Yes,” Kyungsoo nodded. “I’m fine. You just happen to touch me in a sensitive area.”   
  
Chanyeol’s gaze instantly dropped and Kyungsoo groaned when the younger faced his crotch and the bulge that had formed in his pants.   
  
“It’s fine, just ignore it.”   
  
Chanyeol shook his head. “No,” he said, still staring right down between Kyungsoo’s legs. “Why is it like this?”   
  
“I’m aroused.”   
  
“Aroused?”   
  
“Yes, by you.”   
  
“T-then, can I make it go away again?”   
  
A breathy laugh left Kyungsoo. “You could but-” “I want,” the younger cut him off. “What can I do? Tell me.”   
  
Swallowing, Kyungsoo looked at Chanyeol. Grabbing the merman by the wrist he guided one of his hands to his crotch. “Touch me.”   
  
To having Chanyeol actually touching him was pure bliss. Kyungsoo leaned his head back and let out a soft moan when Chanyeol wrapped his fingers around his shaft, stroking him. The younger was surprisingly good at it and just as Kyungsoo started to wonder he could’ve been so good at it, Chanyeol stopped his movements.   
  
“What’s wrong?” Kyungsoo asked, looking at him.   
  
“I can do something else.”   
  
Frowning, at first, a loud, surprised gasped escaped Kyungsoo when Chanyeol let go of him and lowered his face into between his legs.   
  
“C-chanyeol, what?”   
  
The young merman gazed up. “I’ve seen it,” he said. “Two of them were doing it. They did the same noises as you.”   
  
The pirate groaned. He knew that some of his crew members had their way with one another but he wouldn't have thought they’d use the garden for their intimate sessions. And he also wouldn't have thought that they would do it so obviously right in Chanyeol’s visual field.   
  
“Don’t you want me to?”   
  
“Oh gosh,” Kyungsoo breathed out. “I’d love you to but you don’t have to.”   
  
“But I want to.”   
  
Kyungsoo sucked in a very audible breath when Chanyeol eventually took him into his mouth, closing his rosy lips around the crown of his erection. It was almost to much to endure. Just everything about it was almost too much.   
  
Knowing that Chanyeol wanted to pleasure him sent shivers down Kyungsoo’s spine. But knowing that this was the first time Chanyeol did this almost wanted Kyungsoo to make him stop. A part of him wanted to keep the younger the innocent self he was but he couldn’t deny that he really enjoyed it. Chanyeol was doing unexpectedly great and Kyungsoo soon could feel his orgasm approaching.   
  
Fisiting a hand in Chanyeol’s soft locks he moaned when he felt Chanyeol gazing his teeth over the sensitive skin of his cock. “C-chanyeol ah-”   
  
The urge to buck his hips was big and the pirate wasn’t able to hold back. It was just a slight movement but it was able to make Chanyeol gag in surprise. Kyungsoo expected him to pull away but he didn’t. He started moving even faster and Kyungsoo threw his head back in pleasure when the tip of the youngers nose came in contact with his pubis, taking him all in.   
  
The peak of pleasure approached quickly and Kyungsoo was way too late to move back or to make Chanyeol to let go of him and so he came, starling the younger as he ejaculated into his mouth.   
  
Kyungsoo growled, cursing under his breath. “Shit! Chanyeol, I’m sorry!” He grabbed Chanyeol by the chin and tilted his head upwards, letting out a raspy breath as his eyes fell down to the younger’s rosy lips. “Holy-”   
  
Chanyeol might have been startled by Kyungsoo’s sudden orgasm and yet he swallowed all of the pirates release. One or two drops of Kyungsoo’s cum lingered on his parted lips and Chanyeol licked his lips, yelping a little when he was pulled into a heating kiss.   
  
“I’m sorry,” Kyungsoo apologized, mumbling against the merman’s mouth.   
  
“I-it’s fine,” Yeol said. “Are you okay?”   
  
“Yes.”   
  
“Was it good?”   
  
“More than good,” Kyungsoo said. “It was great.”   
  
A shy smile appeared on Chanyeol’s face and Kyungsoo kissed him again, enjoying the way the younger hummed into the kiss and curled his fingers into the fabric of his shirt.   
  
Kissing, nipping at each other’s lips and cuddling they moved a little away from the pool and settled down in the soft gras. Kyungsoo had the merman sitting between his leg with Chanyeol comfortably leaning against him.   
  
“We soon will set sails again.”   
  
The words caused Chanyeol to tense. Lifting his head he looked at the pirate, eyes wide open and full of worry. “Will you leave me?”   
  
Kyungsoo gasped. “What?! Oh god, no. Of course not.”   
  
“Then what will happen to me?”   
  
“You’re coming with us, of course,” Kyungsoo said. “You can follow the ship during the day and in the night you can come on board, if you want. I won’t leave you here.”   
  
A deep sigh left Chanyeol and Kyungsoo wrapped his arms around him, pulling him close. “Really, you don’t have to worry. I won’t leave you behind,” he said, pressing a kiss to the younger’s temple.   
  
“W-what do the other’s say?”   
  
“What so you mean?”   
  
“Are they okay with me coming with you?”   
  
“They’re more than okay with it. And even if not, I’m their captain. They have to do as I say.”   
  
A giggle escaped Chanyeol. “I’m excited,” he then said, smiling. “I can help you!”   
  
“W-with what?” Kyungsoo asked, frowning in confusion. “With what can you help?”   
  
“Finding treasures! I’ll be a great help!”   
  
Oh yes, Chanyeol was a great help. He was more than just a great help. On the very first day Kyungsoo’s crew hit the sea again, the young merman saved them from running into some trouble with the navy and on their second day he even helped finding a massive gold treasure.   
  
The help of the merman met great positive response with Kyungsoo’s crew and slowly but surely Chanyeol warmed up with the pirates.   
  
“Good job, Chanyeol!”   
  
The thumbs up he was given had the young merman brightly smiling and the mimicked the first mates action, lifting his hand to show him his thumb too.   
  
“Holy Poseidon, he’s adorable,” the man said, gazing down into the waters were Chanyeol was diving next to the ship. “Just look at him.”   
  
“Have you taken a fancy to him?” One crew member laughed, resting his arms on the wooden railing. “Don’t let the captain here this?”   
  
The mate laughed out. “Well, who hasn’t taken a fancy to him? The whole crew is whipped.”   
  
“Yeah,” the other hummed, nodding his head. “Isn’t strange how fast our respect towards him has changed? At first he wasn’t much more than a valuable trophy and now he’s become someone I’d cross my blade for to protect him.”   
  
“Yes. It is strange. But would you really cross your blade for him with someone?”   
  
“Without thinking twice,” the man nodded. “I can’t explain it but this boy has grown to my heart.”   
  
“Haha, I guess the tales about mermaids are true then. They make you lose your mind by simply existing.”   
  
“Oh yes, and when they smile at you, you a-oh?” The man paused mid sentence when Chanyeol waved at him. “What is it?”   
  
“There’s a ship close. It’s coming towards us,” Chanyeol called up to them pointing north. “It’s big.”   
  
The first mate called for Kyungsoo and the captain fastly appeared. “What is it?”   
  
“Our nixie says there’s a ship coming from north. It’s heading directly towards us.”   
  
Kyungsoo nodded. “Alright, get the crew to deck. Prepare for a attack.”   
  
“Aye!”   
  
“Oh and one more thing.”   
  
“Yes?”   
  
“Quit calling him ‘Nixie’, I don’t like that.”   
  
“A-aye.”   
  
As the two men hurried away to gather the crew together, Kyungsoo leaned over the railing. “Stay underwater,” he told Chanyeol. “No matter what, stay hidden.”   
  
“Okay,” Chanyeol nodded. “W-will you fight?”   
  
“Probably.”   
  
“T-take care.”   
  
Kyungsoo smiled. “I will.”   
  
The ship that had happen to cross their path was a large merchant ship and of course the pirate ordered his crew to hijack the ship. The crew of the ship was rather reluctant and defended their valuable goods with all they had.   
  
Kyungsoo was wounded, losing blood from a deep cut in his right upper arm. It impaired his movements and strength and it took him three stabs with his sword until the man he had fought finally let out his last breath. He wiped the blood painted tip of his epee at the man’s uniform, turning away afterwards.   
  
It had gotten quiet on the ship Kyungsoo briefly overlook the deck to check up on his crew. “Everyone alright?”   
  
“Aye.”   
  
“Aye, captain.”   
  
“I might need a new leg but aye.”   
  
It had ended good for them. No one died and in the end they were able to increase their fortune by two chests full of cold and jewels.   
  
The wind in the sail had brought the ship a couple of miles away from the merchant ship and Chanyeol was eager to see if everyone was alright.   
  
“Don’t worry, we’re all good,” Kyungsoo heard one of his men saying as the doc treated his wounded arm. He waited until his wounded flash was fully wrapped into a bandage before he got up and stepped to the railing.   
  
Chanyeol immediately flashed him a bright smile. “Are you okay?”   
  
“I am.”   
  
“But your arm-” Chanyeol said, pointing up.   
  
“It’s nothing serious, don’t worry.”   
  
“I want to see.”   
  
“Chanyeol really, it’s fine.”   
  
“I want to see!”   
  
A couple of laughters hollered over the ship. “Cute but feisty,” the treasurer chuckled when Kyungsoo let out a deep sigh. “Shall I get him up?”   
  
“Yes.”   
  
As the bulky man climbed down the ladder of the moving ship to get the merman on board, Kyungsoo went to get the basin they had brought along for the times Chanyeol spent on the ship. It wasn’t big but it at least was wide and deep enough for the merna to sit in it to keep his fin hydrated.   
  
Chanyeol’s adorable giggle had Kyungsoo turning towards the entry of his ship. His treasures had thrown the young marine creature over his shoulder to get him up the rope ladder and the way he was carried seemed to highly amuse Chanyeol.   
  
“Enjoying yourself there?” Kyungsoo asked when the man walked past him.   
  
Chanyeol turned his head to gaze up to him. “Yes,” he beamed. “It’s fun.”   
  
The captain knelt down next to him once Chanyeol securely sat on the wood floo of the ship. A chuckle slipped past his lips when Chanyeol leaned forwards to inspect his bandaged arm. “I told you it’s not bad.”   
  
“It’s still bleeding. I can smell it,” Yeol said, frowning when he looked at Kyungsoo. “It hurts, right?”   
  
“N-” Kyungsoo paused. “W-well, yeah. It does hurt but it’s not that bad,” he eventually admitted. He knew he couldn't deny it anyways. “Don’t worry.”   
  
Chanyeol nodded but still had a suspicious frown on his face.   
  
“Are you hungry?” The pirate asked to change the topic.   
  
“No, I’m good.”   
  
“Would still like to have an apple?”   
  
“Oh yes, an apple would be nice.”   
  
Chanyeol had become a huge fan of ‘human’ food and especially liked apples. Kyungsoo had made sure to get a huge barrel of the fruit on board for the merman, so he could have one whenever he wanted.   
  
Coming back from below deck with a big, red apple in his hand Kyungsoo couldn’t help but smile by the sight he met. Chanyeol was surrounded by his crew members and all of them were brightly smiling while listening to whatever the young merman told them.   
  
Whenever Chanyeol was on board he was the center of attention. The pirates were curious to hear about life underwater but also answered Chanyeol’s curious question about the human world.   
  
Kyungsoo liked to see them getting along this well, though he became possessive and protective when one of his men got too close to the pretty merman.   
  
Chanyeol stayed on the ship the whole day and the crew made sure that the young merman was well entertained and fed. Chanyeol clapped along when two of the pirates started playing a song, using a violin and reed flute and a happy squeal escaped his throat when the first mate picked him up, whirling him around as the other pirates started to dance as well.   
  
Kyungsoo loved seeing Chanyeol happy like this and it made his heart swelling with joy. If someone would’ve asked him whom he thought he’d lose his heart for, he never would’ve guessed that it would be a bubbly, joyous merman.   
  
Kyungsoo had always thought that if he ever would find love, the one he’d fall for would be as cold and ruthless as him. That he would found love in someone as pure as Chanyeol was beyond his imagination.   
  
As the night rolled by and fatigue approached it got more quiet on the ship. Kyungsoo carried Chanyeol over to the captain’s cabin while most of the crew members headed below deck to get some rest and the remaining men went to their sentries.   
  
“Did you have fun today?” Kyungsoo asked as they settled down in his bed.   
  
Chanyeol smiled. “So much.”   
  
“That’s nice to hear.”   
  
“You were quiet the whole night.”   
  
“I didn’t want to interrupt,” Kyungsoo said. He stroke Chanyeol over the head, running his fingers through his soft lilac hair. “You were so lively talking to everyone, it was nice to see.”   
  
“They’re nice,” Chanyeol hummed. “I like them.”   
  
“I hope you still like me the most.”   
  
The merman giggled. “I do,” he nodded. “I do like you the most.”   
  
“That’s what I wanted to hear,” the captain snickered. He grabbed Chanyeol by the chin and pulled him into a kiss.   
  
“I there a word for it?”   
  
“A word for what?”   
  
“A word for when you like someone more than anyone else?”   
  
“There is,” Kyungsoo said. “It’s called ‘love’.”   
  
“Love,” Chanyeol softly repeated, gazing at Kyungsoo. “Do I love you then?”   
  
The pirates heart skipped a beat. “It depends,” he then said. “Do you like me more than anyone else?”   
  
“Yes.”   
  
“Would you choose me over anybody in this world?”   
  
“Yes.”   
  
“Do I make your heart beat faster?”   
  
“Much faster.”   
  
“Then yes, then you maybe love me.”   
  
“Maybe?”   
  
Kyungsoo laughed out. “Well, I can’t tell you. Those are your feelings, not mine. It’s your choice whether you want classify those feelings as love or not.”   
  
Chanyeol kept quiet for a moment, only hummed softly. “I want,” he then said. “I want to classify my feelings for you as love.”   
  
Kyungsoo smiled. “Then, do you love me?”   
  
“Yes. I love you.”   
  
“That makes me very happy.”   
  
Chanyeol was pulled into another kiss but he was fast to break it again. “D-do you love me, too?”   
  
“Oh, you’ve got no idea how much I do. I’d turn the world upside-down for you.” The younger flushed and bashfully smiled. Kyungsoo leaned in to give him yet another kiss. “Thank you for loving me.”   
  
“T-thank you? Why?”   
  
“I’m not an easy man to love,” the pirate said. “I’m not always doing the right thing and I’ve harmed more people than anyone else. I’ve murdered for money and-” He paused, deeply breathing in. “I took your liberty. I could and should have released you the day you went into my net but I didn’t. I was selfish and blinded by the value you have in the human world and I wanted to keep you at all costs. You tried to escape but instead of giving you what you seeked the most, I’ve hurt you.”   
  
“You’re not as bad as you say you are.”   
  
The words came from Chanyeol without any hesitation and they brought tears to Kyungsoo’s eyes. “Don’t defend me. I know I’ve done wrong.”   
  
“If you would have done all wrong, would I be here?” Chanyeol asked. “No, I wouldn’t.”   
  
“I kn-” “I’m here. And I won’t go away. Can’t you just take it?”   
  
“I can,” Kyungsoo eventually said. “I don’t understand but I can take it. Thank you.”   
  
Chanyeol didn’t answer, only smiled at him and Kyungsoo tightly embraced the younger when Chanyeol leaned forwards, nipping at his skin.   
  
Yes, he couldn’t understand how Chanyeol was able to fall in love with him but he was glad he did. And even though he wanted know how and why, he wouldn’t ask. Chanyeol wanted him to just take his love and so he would; because this love was the greatest value Kyungsoo had ever achieved.   
  
  
  
  
  
♠♠♠   
  
  
  
  
  
  
The harbor was packed with ships and the second Kyungsoo gazed into the bay in front of the city he knew there was no way they could anchor the ship close to the docks. It was too dangerous and the risk of someone catching a glimpse of Chanyeol was too high.   
  
The anchored a little outside the bay and Chanyeol was rather sad that the whole crew was leaving for town. “Don’t be sad, nixie. We’ll bring you something nice from the market,” the first mate said, riffling Chanyeol’s hair.   
  
“Yes, and I’ll bring you something nice to eat,” the cook added, gifting the young merman a smile.   
  
Kyungsoo raised a brow as he sat down in one of the rowing boats. “Since when are you into spoiling people?”   
  
“Since when are you?” His first mate countered, causing the crew to laugh. “And besides, shouldn’t you happy that we spoil him instead of easy girls?”   
  
“What are easy girls?” Chanyeol chirped, tilting his head.   
  
“Nothing you need to know about,” the navigator said, ditching the question. “Now, hide well, okay?”   
  
“Yes,” Kyungsoo said, looking at Chanyeol. “Stay around and make sure to keep your head under water.”   
  
Chanyeol pouted. “Okay.”   
  
“Oh, don’t make such a face,” the captain said. “We’ll be back soon.”   
  
“But it’ll be so boring.”   
  
“Oh, I have an idea,” the cook spoke up. Reaching for a small gunny bag he held it out to Chanyeol. “How about having clams for dinner? We would save a lot of money if you could go and get some.”   
  
“Oh, yes!” Chanyeol’s face immediately lit up and he grabbed the bag. “I’ll go and get clams. How many?”   
  
“As many as you can find.”   
  
“Okay, okay!”   
  
Kyungsoo mouthed his cook a silent “Thank you,” and turned back to Chanyeol. “Alright, we’ll be back before sunset.”   
  
“Yes,” Chanyeol chirped. He pushed himself up on the boats wooden railing and planted a kiss onto the captain’s cheek before diving into the blue.   
  
The action caught Kyungsoo off guard and left him baffled. Never before they had exchanged any kind of skinship in front of the crew and that Chanyeol was kissing him in front of the whole crew, even if it was just a simple peck on the cheek, surprised him.   
  
“Aw, now that was heartwarming.”   
  
Kyungsoo shot the man a glare.   
  
“What?” The pirate laughed but held up his hands in defense. “It’s not that we already didn't know that you had your hands on nixie.”   
  
The first mate nodded. “Yes captain, we know. I mean how not to know when he looks at you like this all the time.”   
  
“L-like what?” Kyungsoo wanted to know.   
  
“Like I look at a chest full of sparkling gems,” one of the men laughed. “He always has his eyes on you.”   
  
“We’re jealous much, captain. We’d like to have someone looking at us like that, too.”   
  
“Oh please,” Kyungsoo laughed out. “Some of you guys are looking at each other like that. Don’t even try to deny it. And since we already have that topic. Once we’re back home don’t dare to play your naughty games in the garden. I don’t need Chanyeol watching you sucking each other off.”   
  
All the men gasped, looking at one another in shock. “H-he saw?”   
  
“Oh hell, he saw,” the captain huffed. “And thanks to his night vision he probably saw all of it.”   
  
“Marine creatures have night vision? That’s impressive!”   
  
“It is! Nixie is truly a mysterious boy.”   
  
“Yes, yea, he is,” Kyungsoo said. “Anyways, let’s head to town. We’ve already wasted enough time.”   
  
It had been a while since Kyungsoo was last a visitor in this city but he was pretty much recognized almost instantly. “Well hello there, captain,” a young woman sang, hugging Kyungsoo’s arm as she joined him on his stroll down the street.   
  
Kyungsoo huffed in annoyance and wiggled his arm but she had got a tight hold of him. “What do you want?”   
  
“Oh, I wouldn’t mind having another night with you,” she said, making sure her full chest was pressing against the man’s arm. “You even can have me for free.”   
  
“Thanks, I renounce.”   
  
“Oh, that’s a shame. We had much fun, hadn’t we?”   
  
“Just leave me alone,” Kyungsoo hissed at her.   
  
Eventually the woman let go. “Well, in case you change your mind. you know where to find me.”   
  
Kyungsoo watched her as she strolled off and he grumbled a little under his breath. The meeting with her just painfully reminded him of all the nights he had spent with people whose faces he already had forgotten. Most of the men and women he had slept with were prostitutes, others minors who he could trick into bed by charming them and the more he thought of all those nights full of quick fucks, the more he came to the conclusion that he might have been nothing more than a prostitute himself.   
  
Shaking the thoughts off and hoping to not run into yet another person he had intercourse with, he continued his stroll over the market. He wasn’t looking for anything particular but a small stand with glistening pieces of jewelry caught his attention.   
  
Looking over the laid out rings, bracelets and necklaces, he reached for a, with sapphire studded, golden bangle.   
  
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” The old man behind the stand voiced out.   
  
Kyungsoo nodded. “Yes.”   
  
“Pure gold studded with ten deep blue sapphires. It took me a week to make it.”   
  
“May I take a closer look?”   
  
“Sure,” the man nodded, handling the young pirate his magnifying glass. “Are you an educated?”   
  
“Not as professional as you but my grandfather was a jeweler. He’s taught me a lot,” Kyungsoo answered the old man’s question while taking a look at the sapphires. They were real; all ten of them and with a satisfied hum he handed the magnifying glass back to its owner. “How much do you want to have for it?”   
  
“Is it for you?”   
  
“No.”   
  
“For a beautiful lady?”   
  
“No, but for someone I love.”   
  
“Why do you think sapphires would suit that person?”   
  
“Because that person got eyes just as blue and sparkling as sapphires.”   
  
The man broke into a smile. “That person really seems to mean a lot to you.”   
  
“Yes.”   
  
“One ducat for each stone and the bangle is yours.”   
  
It was a lot but nothing Kyungsoo didn’t have. Reaching into the small leather pouch he carried in the pocket of his pants, he fished out elven gold ducats. “Ten for each stone and one for the magnificent work you’ve put into it.”   
  
“Oh, thank you very much,” the jeweler said, bowing his head. “Your words would’ve been enough payment though.”   
  
“And yet they wouldn’t be able to pay for your living. Take it,” Kyungsoo said. “I insist. Once ducat less won’t break me.”   
  
“Are you a nobleman or a child of sea, young man?”   
  
“A child of sea if you want to call it like that.”   
  
“Then I wish you a strong breeze in your sails for your next journey. May Poseidon be gracious to you when you take the sunken treasures from his grounds.”   
  
Kyungsoo laughed out. “Oh, I’ve taken much more from his grounds than just sunken treasures, he’d have all rights to make his waves swallowing me.”   
  
“Then you may better stay on dry land,” the man commented.   
  
“That would be a shame in many ways,” the pirate chuckled. “Alone to give this to the one who owns my heart I have to step into the ocean again,” he said, holding up the bangle.   
  
The old man shook his head, smiling. “You own the bravery I never had. I also always wanted to sail the seven seas but my respect for the god of the seas has hindered me.”   
  
“Well, for the good maybe,” Kyungsoo said. “I’m sure you make many people happy with those jewels.”   
  
“Oh, I hope I do.”   
  
“I’m sure,” the pirate smiled. Someone calling out for him had him turning away for a moment. “Alright, I’ll go now,” he said when turning back to the old jeweler. “Thank you, again.”   
  
“Thank you too, captain. Godspeed.”   
  
Securely storing the bangle in his pocket, Kyungsoo strolled off towards one of his crew members. The man was leaning against the wall of a pub, holding onto a jug. Kyungsoo gazed into the jug, raising a brow. “Water?”   
  
“Yes, I’m on a mission right now. I need to stay sober for that.”   
  
“May I know what kind of mission that is?”   
  
“There’s a guy in there who challenges everyone willing for a round of cards. He claims to be the best gambler around.”   
  
“And? Is he?”   
  
“He’s good but he has a very obvious way of playing,” the man hummed, taking a sip of his water.   
  
“So, you think you can beat him?”   
  
“Yes.”   
  
“What’s his stake?”   
  
“Ten barrels of ammunition.”   
  
“What do you have to stake?” Kyungsoo wanted to know.   
  
“A ducat.”   
  
Nodding his head, Kyungsoo reached to get a ducat out of his pocket. “Lose this one and you pay back the double,” he said, handing the ducat to his member.   
  
“I won’t, captain. I won’t lose it.”   
  
Curious to see whether his crew member was actually able to beat the gambler and win the ten barrels of ammunition, Kyungsoo followed him into the pub. While his member went over to the gambler to challenge him, Kyungsoo took sea at the bar and ordered himself a drink.   
  
It was exciting to see and in the end the gambler had to face a heavy defeat. He didn’t take it very well and started a fight that soon took over the whole pub. Blades were crossed, fists were flying and Kyungsoo and his member stumbled out of the pub with a black eye each but with ten barrels off valuable ammunition.   
  
“Well done,” Kyungsoo praised, giving the man a pat on the back.   
  
“Told you I’m won’t lose.”   
  
A low chuckle escaped the captain. “You truly are good at playing cards but you’re a disaster at fighting. A child could knock you out, let me tell you that.”   
  
“Yeah, I’ve got to admit that. Thanks for saving me.”   
  
Laughing and chatting over what had happened in the pub the two pirates carted two fully stacked wheelbarrows down to the docks where they had left the rowing boats. A few other crew members were also already there and helped rowing the goods to the ship.   
  
“It’s been a while since I’ve last seen you with a black eye,” the doc commented as he handed his captain a cold soaked cloth.   
  
“Yes, I didn’t see that fist coming,” Kyungsoo chuckled. “I almost forgot how painful a punch in the face can be.”   
  
“Well, I’d almost say it was worth the pain. Ten barrels is awesome. That saved us a fortune.”   
  
“It does, yes. For once all the gambling got us something good.”   
  
Kyungsoo and the few members that were already back on the ship took a rest under the brightly shining afternoon sun, waiting for the rest of the crew and Chanyeol to join them. The crew was on time, back on board by sunset but the young merman wasn’t.   
  
The sun was slowly sinking and Kyungsoo started to get restless. Chanyeol wasn’t only late by minutes, he was already late by over an hour and the fear that something might could have happened to the younger got his nerves fluttering.   
  
“Where are you going?”   
  
Climbing over the railing, Kyungsoo stabled himself on the rope ladder. “I’ll row out a little, maybe he’s close. You stay here please in case he shows up. I’ll be back soon.”   
  
Getting into the boat that still was down, tied to the ship, Kyungsoo rowed out of the bay. Hoping Chanyeol would be close he dipped his hand into the rather cold water and moved it around.   
  
“Come on,” he mumbled under his breath, looking around. “Come on, show up. Show up!”   
  
His search for the merman led to nothing and Kyungsoo returned to his ship empty handed. Climbing up the rope ladder he was about to climb on deck when one of his men showed up at the entry of the ship. “Captain!”   
  
“What?”   
  
“He’s here!”   
  
“He is? Where is he? Since when is he here?”   
  
“He showed up a few minutes ago,” the pirate said, helping his captain onto deck. “He’s over there.”   
  
Kyungsoo immediately stomped towards where the merman sat on the floor, surrounded by some crew members. “Chanyeol! Where have you been?! We agreed on meeting here at sunset!”   
  
“I’m sorry,” Chanyeol bawled out and Kyungsoo was startled by the big tears that fell from the merman’s big, blue eyes. “I w-was looking for clams and I found so many a-at the other end of the bay and-”   
  
“Oh, okay, okay, calm down,” Kyungsoo dropped to his knees and grabbed Chanyeol by his shaking shoulders. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to shout at you. I was just worried.”   
  
Chanyeol was hiccuping a little and pursed his lips into a pout. “I found many clams for us to eat.”   
  
The childish mumble had Kyungsoo laughing. “Really? How many did you find?”   
  
“Hundreds.”   
  
“Well, I can’t wait to try them.”   
  
Chanyeol gifted him a smile, then reached to touch the side of his face. “What happened to you?”   
  
“I got into a little fight.”   
  
“A fight?”   
  
“Yes,” Kyungsoo nodded. “But don’t worry about it. I’m not hurt or anything.”   
  
“Why did you fight?”   
  
“Let me tell you about it after dinner.”   
  
Having a great dinner with all kinds of seafoods, the evening ended with Kyungsoo and Chanyeol cuddling in the captain's bed and being worn out from his clam hunting, Chanyeol quickly fell asleep. His tail was hanging off the bed and his fin flowed in a large bowl of water to keep his tail hydrated.   
  
Kyungsoo watched his sleeping face; his slightly twitching eyelids and his parted lips. He leaned in and pressed a chaste kiss onto the rosy lips. Chanyeol softly sighed and snuggled closer.   
  
His skin was warm against his palms and Kyungsoo didn’t stop caressing Chanyeol's back until he eventually fell asleep himself.   
  
It wasn’t much of a peaceful sleep and somewhere in between dreaming of Chanyeol disappearing, the merman suddenly stood in front of Kyungsoo as a human. What began as a confusing nightmare slowly turned into something where Kyungsoo had Chanyeol bouncing in his lap, loudly moaning.   
  
The pirate startled awake, causing Chanyeol to wake up as well. “A-are you okay?” Chanyeol asked, sleep-drunken.   
  
“I a-am,” Kyungsoo breathed out, shifting a little. He was bathed in sweat and his wet dream had caused him to have a boner, that much to his distress got quickly noticed.   
  
“Uhm,” Chanyeol voiced out, gazing down the human’s body. “D-do you want me to?”   
  
Kyungsoo sucked in a breath. “Yes, please,” he eventually breathed out, moaning when Chanyeol slipped a hand into his pants.   
  
“S-shall I-”   
  
“No.” Kyungsoo grabbed Chanyeol by the face and pulled him into a kiss. “Just touch me.” He licked into the youngers mouth, humming at the sound he earned from Chanyeol.   
  
It didn’t take long for him to reach his climax and he shuddered in bliss when Chanyeol stroke him through his orgasm with slow movements. He sat up when Chanyeol pulled away, grabbing a cotton cloth that were laying nearby so the younger could wipe his hand clean.   
  
Throwing the dirty rag somewhere, he adjusted his pants and fell back into the sheets of his bed. He wrapped an arm around Chanyeol and pulled him close, pressing a kiss to his lips. “Thanks, love.”   
  
Chanyeol flushed a little. “T-this was unexpected.”   
  
“I’m sorry.”   
  
“It’s f-fine,” Chanyeol said. “Did you have a dream?”   
  
“About you, yes.”   
  
“About me?”   
  
“Yes,” Kyungsoo nodded.   
  
“Was I touching you in your dream?”   
  
A breathy chuckle left the pirate. “Kind of,” he answered. “You were human in my dream. You had a pair of beautiful long legs and-”   
  
“And?”   
  
“We were doing a little more than just touching.”   
  
Chanyeol hummed. “Sometimes I wish I had legs. Did I look good with legs?”   
  
“Yes. Just as stunning as you already look. “   
  
The merman’s lips curled into smile. “Is it okay that I’m not human?”   
  
Kyungsoo frowned. “What do you mean?”   
  
“I mean, I can’t go anywhere with you. If I’m on the ship you have to carry me around, you even have to carry me up onto the ship. I’m a burden.”   
  
“Oh gosh, no. You’re not a burden. Not at all. Don’t ever say that.”   
  
“But-” Chanyeol paused, sighing softly. “I’ll never be able to properly live with you.”   
  
Kyungsoo just kissed Chanyeol that night to take the worry off him but the younger’s words stuck in his mind and they worried him too.   
  
Chanyeol was right, they weren’t able to ever properly live together. They both were children of the sea but in two complete opposite ways. Kyungsoo was meant to ride the waves, Chanyeol was meant to swim with them.   
  
As the days went by Kyungsoo started to put a good face on the matter. He came to the conclusion that, even though he loved Chanyeol, he had to let go of him. He had to set him free, had to give up on him so he could live a happy life again without feeling being a burden.   
  
He knew Chanyeol would never agree on it, so he came up with a plan. A brutal plan.   
  
Informing the crew on what he was planning, Kyungsoo lured Chanyeol away from the bay so his crew could sail off around the island where they then would wait for him.   
  
Chanyeol was excited to go for a swim with the pirate and much to Kyungsoo’s luck he didn’t seem to notice the actual distress Kyungsoo was in. They took a break at the hidden beach Kyungsoo planned on leaving the merman and Chanyeol let out a happy sigh as he rested on the sandbar.   
  
Kyungsoo joined him, resting right beside him. “Do you have fun?”   
  
“Yes,” the merman smiled. “You got better at swimming. Much faster.”   
  
The pirate chuckled. “I’m not sure about that. I think you just got more used to checking up whether I’m still behind you or not.”   
  
“Hm, well. That actually could be,” Yeol hummed, rising his tail out of the water.   
  
Kyungsoo watched him moving his fin, watched drops of water falling from it. He sat up and reached into the pocket of his pants to fumble out a small linen pouch. He fiddled with the strings the pouch were tied shut with, struggling a little since the pouch was soaking wet.   
  
“What is this?” Chanyeol asked, curiously watching.   
  
“I got this for you a couple of days ago when we first came here.”   
  
The young merman’s eyes grew wide at the sight of the golden bangle. “O-oh,” he voiced out. “It’s b-breathtaking. And it’s really for me?”   
  
“It is,” Kyungsoo smiled. He reached for Chanyeol’s wrist and slipped the bangle onto his arm. The bangle was big enough to go all the way up to Chanyeol’s biceps. Kyungsoo gently tugged it into place, smiling softly. “Looks good. Is it comfortable.”   
  
Chanyeol moved his arm a little and eventually nodded. “It is. I really like it. Thank you! Thank you so much.”   
  
A startling sounds escaped Kyungsoo when the younger threw himself at him, hugging him tightly. Getting squeezed for a moment, he was then deeply kissed. As Chanyeol’s lips melted against his mouth, Kyungsoo felt his heart stinging.   
  
It pained him that those were the last moments he would ever spent Chanyeol but he knew it was for the better. He didn’t want his moment to end but he was determined to go through his plan.   
  
Grabbing Chanyeol by the face, the pirate broke the kiss. “I need to go somewhere,” he said.   
  
“W-where?” A confused expression appeared on Chanyeol’s face. “Where do you need to go?”   
  
“I need to go and pee.”   
  
“O-oh okay.”   
  
Kyungsoo was still holding onto Chanyeol’s face. Without saying something, he just looked at him. He let his eyes wander over the flawless features, scanning every inch of Chanyeol’s face to burn his looks into his brain.   
  
“D-don’t you have to go to pee?”   
  
The corners of his lips curled into a smile as he looked into Chanyeol’s big, wide open deep blue eyes. “I love you.”   
  
“I love you too,” Chanyeol instantly replied. “But don’t you have to go and pee?”   
  
“I’ll go now,” Kyungsoo said. His heart was painfully racing when he pulled Chanyeol into one very last kiss.   
  
Finally getting up to leave, Kyungsoo walked out of the water. The surface under his feet was changing from water to sand and eventually to grass when he had reached the dunes. He dared to throw a quick glance over his shoulder and let out a shaky breath when his eyes fell onto Chanyeol’s form.   
  
The merman was sitting in the water, facing the open ocean. He had a hand cupped over the bangle Kyungsoo had gifted him, caressing with his fingers.   
  
Kyungsoo’s throat went dry and he swallowed on nothing. “Goodbye, you wonderful, wonderful creature,” he whispered against the salty breeze that blew into his face, slowly stepping further and further away from Chanyeol. “Take good care yourself.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
♠♠♠   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Ever since he had left Chanyeol behind, Kyungsoo was back to his cold and ruthless self. He didn’t care about anybody and he was so angry and frustrated with himself that he wasn’t thinking straight at all.   
  
The guy to his feet had been dead for already a couple of minutes and yet Kyungsoo still was stabbing his chest with his epee. The dead body was covered in blood and only when one of his crew members reached for his arm to hold him back from stabbing the lifeless man again, Kyungsoo stilled.   
  
“Captain, enough.”   
  
Letting his eyes gaze over the dead, Kyungsoo sighed. He turned away and didn’t bother to clean his sword, simply let it slide back into its sheath. “Let’s go,” he said, heading towards the extended plank that connected the ship they’ve hijacked with his own.   
  
His crew followed him wordlessly and took care of burning down the robbed ship before hoisting the sails and threading for the next harbor.   
  
“Captain, we’re close to Kingston Port, do you want us to dock there?”   
  
“Why should we?”   
  
“Well, we could stop for the black market.”   
  
“Sure, why not.”   
  
Kyungsoo didn't really care but he knew that he had to show consideration for his crew. To get some solid ground under his feet he even joined his crew and went to the black market with them.   
  
Just as he remembered the gloomy place it was packed with pirates from all over the place. He lazily let his eyes wander over the variety of different things that were offered for sale but didn’t pay much attention to them.   
  
“C-captain.”   
  
The shocked gasp of his first mate was able to get Kyungsoo attention. “What?” He asked, looking at the man.   
  
“T-there,” the man breathed out, pointing down to less crowded corner of the market with a shaky hand.   
  
Narrowing his eyes Kyungsoo gazed over to the corner, gasping in shock when his eyes fell onto fairly poor looking, chained up creature. “Chanyeol.”   
  
His crew was right behind him when Kyungsoo dashed over to the merman as fast a s possible. “Chanyeol!”   
  
Chanyeol’s head shot up and his eyes immediately filled with tears as he watched Kyungsoo coming towards him. “K-kyungsoo.”   
  
Sinking to his knees, Kyungsoo cupped the younger’s face. “Chanyeol, what-” Kyungsoo didn’t know where to look at first; Chanyeol was a mess. His fin was dry and his upper body and face were decorated with bruises and bloody scratches. “Who did this to you?”   
  
“I d-don’t know who he is,” the merman croaked out. His voice was hoarse and Kyungsoo figured that he didn’t have water in a while.   
  
“Get him some water,” he ordered and instantly two of his crew members hurried away to find fresh water. As soon as they were back, Kyungsoo helped him drinking some of the fluid. “What happened?”   
  
“Y-you left me,” Chanyeol sobbed, shaking all over. “I tried to find you. T-there was a ship, it l-loos like your but-”   
  
“But it wasn’t.”   
  
Chanyeol nodded. “They caught me and brought me here.”   
  
“How long have you been here?”   
  
“I d-don’t know. A long time.”   
  
Kyungsoo sucked in a breath. “Oh Yeol,” he gently wiped some of the younger’s flowing tear saway with his thumbs. “I’m so sorry.”   
  
“W-why did you leave me?”   
  
“I-” The pirate bit his lip. “I wanted to give you back your freedom. All I wanted was you having back your freedom. I’m so sorry.”   
  
“G-get me out of here,” the merman bawled. “Please.” The shackles around Chanyeol’s wrists made rattling sounds when he tried to lift his hands. “Please.”   
  
“I will,“ Kyungsoo said. “I will.” Getting back up the pirate looked around. “Hey you,” he called out for a gaunt guy. “Who runs this shithole here?”   
  
“That’s me,” the man said. “Why?”   
  
“I want him. How much?”   
  
“He’s priceless.”   
  
“Come on, don’t play round. Just give me a price.”   
  
The seller hummed. “You seem determined to have him,” he uttered, grinning. “A thousand and he’s yours.”   
  
The crew gasped at the named price.   
  
“A thousand it is,” Kyungsoo said. He pointed at five of his men. “You go and get it, please. I’ll stay here.”   
  
Chanyeol’s abuser shrugged. “As long as you get the right amount of ducats here, I’m fine with you staying here.”   
  
“I also want you to uncuff him.”   
  
The man laughed out. “Oh hell no.”   
  
“Then at least get him some water. He needs it.”   
  
“Why don’t you get it? I don’t care if he dies any minute or not. He’s been nothing but a burden since I got him.”   
  
Kyungsoo clenched his jaw and tried to ignore the mean comment. Asking three of his members to get a tub with water for Chanyeol, Kyungsoo knelt back down in front of Chanyeol.   
  
“Soon,” he said, touching the younger’s face. “Hold on a little longer, okay?”   
  
Chanyeol nodded. He let his head fall onto Kyungsoo’s shoulder and sighed deeply. “My body hurts.”   
  
“The doc will help you when were back on the ship,” Kyungsoo said, stroking Chanyeol over the head. HIs hair was dry and far from as soft as it had been before. The condition Chanyeol was in truly hurt Kyungsoo’s heart.   
  
It took the crew endlessly long to come back and Kyungsoo was growing impatient. “Go and look where they are. He really needs water!”   
  
“Yes, captain!”   
  
“Oh, you are their captain?” The seller ask as yet another member of Kyungsoo’s crew hurried away. “I wouldn’t have thought. May I know whom I have the honor with?”   
  
“With Satan himself,” Kyungsoo growled at the guy.   
  
“Oh ho, no need to be so harsh. I was just asking.” Chuckling the man turned away and called for a young guy that stood close by in a dark corner. “You’re familiar with the bounty hunter community, right? Is there a bounty on him?”   
  
The boy nodded. “Captain Do brings two and fifty ducats.”   
  
“250? That’s high,” the man said.   
  
Kyungsoo was suddenly facing the barrel of a gun and as only one more crew member was with him, he was basically unprotected.   
  
“Does he bring me 250 dead or alive?”   
  
“225 dead,” was the answer.   
  
The man hummed. “So, do I want to have 250 or 225?” He lowered his gun a little. “250? Oh wait no, with you dead I have more time to get rid of the fish.”   
  
The gun was fired but it missed its target. Kyungsoo was not hit by the bullet and yet it hit something, burying itself in flesh.   
  
The second the seller pulled the trigger, Kyungsoo was pushed out of the field of fire by Chanyeol. The merman had gathered all the strength he had left to push the pirate, saving his life. The bullet hit him in the stomach and he slumped to the dirty ground, crying out in pain.   
  
“Chanyeol!”   
  
The seller was tackled to the ground, disarmed by Kyungsoo’s crew member while the pirate reached for Chanyeol to pick him up from the ground.   
  
“Hold on,” Kyungsoo managed to breathe out while pressing his hands down the bleeding wound on Chanyeol’s stomach. “Hold on, hold on!”   
  
Everything suddenly moved way too slow. The sound of the fired gun had caused attention and Kyungsoo’s crew members were back at the scene in no time. One of them instantly headed back off to get help for Chanyeol.   
  
“I’m c-cold.”   
  
“N-no,” Kyungsoo shook his head, trying to fight back the tears that started to pool in his eyes. “No, you’re not. You’re fine.”   
  
Chanyeol’s body was trembling under him and the blood that was coming from his bullet wound was soaking his hands, seeking its way through the tiny spaces between his fingers.   
  
Chanyeol’s eyes were hooded and his dry lips slightly parted. “K-kyungsoo-”   
  
“Y-yeah?”   
  
“I-if I die, please don’t l-leave m-me here.”   
  
“W-what are you saying? You won’t die. I won’t let you die!” Leaning down, Kyungsoo pressed their foreheads together. “I’ll get you out of here and I’ll take you home.”   
  
A small smiled formed on Chanyeol’s lips. “C-can I have a kiss?”   
  
“One? You can have a million.” Kyungsoo kissed the younger, gently pecking his lips a couple of times in a row. Tears were falling from his eyes, running down his face and wetting his cheeks. He pulled pack when Chanyeol let out a shaky breath against his mouth. “Chanyeol?’   
  
The young merman’s eyes had fallen shut and his lid were barely twitching.   
  
“Oh god, no. No, no, no. Chanyeol, open your eyes. Please. Look at me.”   
  
The corners of Chanyeol’s mouth moved. “I-” he brought out. “I had a g-great time with you.” His voice was soft and quiet and Kyungsoo could tell that he had troubles speaking.   
  
“Shh, don’t talk.”   
  
“N-no, I want to tell you t-that-” Chanyeol’s face twisted in pain for a mere second. “T-thank you, K-kyungsoo. I l-love you.”   
  
“And I love you,” Kyungsoo whispered. “I’ll always love you.”   
  
Everything seemed to fall into silence when Chanyeol took a breath and exhaled for the very last time of his young life. Kyungsoo broke down beside him, embracing Chanyeol. He held him close and sobbed into the crook of his neck. “Don’t leave me, don’t leave me.”   
  
  
The crew had their head lowered when their captain walked past them with the lifeless merman in his arms. Some of them stood strong and held back their sorrow, others were letting their feelings run free. Their beloved ‘Nixie’ was longer among the living and it deeply hurt their hearts.   
  
Stepping in front of his crew, Kyungsoo looked at the men. “It’s been years,” he spoke up. “And I’ve honestly no idea how many years but those years we’ve been sailing together were truly a blessing. You’re family and I cherish each and everyone of you. And as much as I enjoyed the days we’ve been on adventures-” He paused and gazed down at Chanyeol’s face. “He was outshining you and all the stuff we’ve experienced. I didn’t have much time with him but it was the best time of my life.”   
  
“Captain…”   
  
“I’m no longer your captain,” Kyungsoo said. “I’m stopping my journey here. I give the ship, the house and everything else I own to you. I don’t care if you continue to sail or you split and go separate ways but I hope you do it in peace. I truly want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for the great years we had. Thank you.”   
  
“Thank you too, captain.”   
  
Gifting the crew one last smile, Kyungsoo turned away. With Chanyeol in his arms he headed towards the cliffs, coming to halt at the very edge of them right above the ocean.   
  
Angry waves were roaring against the crags and a strong breeze coming from the open sea added an extra strenght to them.   
  
Gazing at Chanyeol, Kyungsoo broke into a soft smile. The merman was not alive but it almost looked as if he would be asleep. His features were soft and his full lashes rested against the top of his cheeks.   
  
They had taken the bangle from him but he still wore the necklace Kyungsoo had gotten him. He traced the shell pendant with his index finger and gently tugged it in place.   
  
The wind moved Chanyeol's lilac hair and Kyungsoo remembered the first time he admired his stunning locks.   
  
“I wish you could look at me,” Kyungsoo whispered. “I wish you could look at me one more time with those beautiful eyes.”   
  
He leaned down and brushed his lips against Chanyeol’s cold ones. “And I wish you could say my name for one more time.”   
  
Tightening his grip onto the merman, Kyungsoo took another step closer to the abyss. “I love you,” he said, closing his eyes.   
  
The next step he took was a step into the deep. The rolling waves welcomed them, instantly swallowing them. They took Chanyeol back to where he belonged to and they took Kyungsoo’s life in exchange for not taking good enough care of Poseidon’s child.   
  
They might didn’t have the chance to spend a full happy life on earth together. But maybe they were able to live that happy life beyond the waves.   
  
  



End file.
